Multiple groove grinder



July 5, 1932. c. T. RAULi-I MULTIPLE enoovn GRINDER Filed March 2, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l cz ymz i l'lie ATTORNEY July 5, 1932. RAULE 1,865,642

MULTIPLE GROOVE GRINDER Filed March 2, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY July 5, 1932. c. T. RAULE 1,865,642

MULTIPLE GROOVE GRINDER Filed March 2, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet -3 Ii" gm i.

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mumxrmenoovs GRINDER Filed March 2, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 5, 1932 vireo STATES PATENT OFFICE CLIFFORD T. RAULE, F BROOKLINE, PENNSYLVANIA MULTIPLE GROOVE GRINDER Application filed March 2, 1929. Serial No. 343,879.

gential to the line of centers of the arc of the groove and finish grind with the grinding surface away from the axis a distance equal to the radius of the desired groove, so that effectively the grinding portion ofthe wheel continuously generates the groove curve upon the revolving surface of the work piece.

A further purpose is to provide convenient means for flooding the wheel and work of a multiple grinding machine with a cooling liquid during grinding.

A further purpose is to provide workholders having pivotal support for arcuate oscillation during grinding and an adjustment between the axis of the pivot and the work-holder for adjusting the radius of groove grinding to which the unit is adapted to operate.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims.

I have elected to show two only of the different forms of my invention, selecting forms, however, that are practical and efficient in operation and which illustrate particularly well the principles involved.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of structure embodying my invention and may be considered as taken upon the line 1-1 of Figure 2, or upon the line 11 of Figure 3.

a Figure 2 is a horizontal section correspond- 7 ing to that upon the line 2--2 of Figure 1, or

that upon the line 2-2 of Figure 3, each case in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a front elevation. Figure 4 is a side elevation of a detail showing an adjustment in the position of the trunnions adapting the work-holder to present the work to wheels at different radii of oscillation.

Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary sectional views illustrating another way of radial grinding and are views substantially the same as Figures 17 and 18 in my application No. 126,403of which the present application is in part a continuation.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all figures.

Describing in illustration and not in limitation and referring to the drawings The present invention is a development and in part a continuation of the subject matter of my application of No. 126,403 entitled Grinder filed August 2, 1926.

My invention contemplates mounting a plurality of grinding units upon a turn-table at spaced intervals, the units traveling the same endless path and operating simultaneously at different phases of the same cycle of operations. v

Each unit comprises a rapidly revolving grinding wheel and a relatively slowly revolving work-holder with a traverse between the wheel and the work-holder that generates a curved line between the grinding face of the wheel and the surface of work in the work-holder that is in effect the desired curve for the groove.

The desired grooves are usually arcuate and I obtain the requisite traverse by suitable oscillation of the work-holder on trunnion spindles carried by the turn-table while the wheel remains axially stationary with respect to the turn-table, giving the grinding wheel a curved face of curvature greater than that of the desired groove in the work, so that the wheel face may easily enter the groove and be made to engage different arcuate portions of the groove by reason of the oscillation of the work.

I feed the successive duplicate work pieces in at a loading point and eject pieces ground to size successively as they reach a discharge point that is normally a little before the loading point. Each unit when it has completed a revolution from loading point to loading point has ground a work piece to size, discharged the finished piece and is again ready for a new piece, and the cycle of operation is exactly the same for all of the units.

A work piece enters the machine and is secured in or upon the revolving work-holder. The wheel then moves into position for traverse grinding and traverse grinding follows with progressive feed of the wheel to the work, or less desirably the work to the wheel until the piece is ground to finished size. Before finish grinding the wheel may be taken out of work and trued by diamonding, but this not being a part of the present invention has not been illustrated.

As the grinding unit approaches its position for discharge the wheel is automatically removed from the work to permit the removal of the work.

In Figures 1 to 3 the turn-table 1O carrying the grinding units 11 is revolvably mounted upon a vertical shaft 12 that is rigidly fastened to the stationary supporting structure 13.

The turn-table is j ournaled on the shaft at 14 and on the supporting base at 15 and is driven from a motor 16, a worm drive 17 belt driven from the motor meshing with a worm gear 18 fastened to the lower hub 19 of the turn-table.

The turn-table comprises a base 20, superstructure 21 and an annular trough 22. The base 20 surrounds the central shaft and covers the driving motor and adjacent gearing, the superstructure 21 supports the grinding units 11 and the trough 22 forms a common supply reservoir for cooling liquid for all of the units.

The superstructure is rigidly fastened to the base of the turn-table at 23 and supports the annular reservoir 22 for the cooling liquid 24. This liquid is continuously delivered over the grinding wheels at the points of engagement with the work pieces.

The reservoir 22 is fastened rigidly to the top of the superstructure in any suitable way, not shown, and pipes 25 from the bottom of this reservoir lead to positions at which they can deliver the cooling liquor to the individual grinding wheels.

- Each grinding unit comprises a grinding wheel unit 26 and a work-holder 27 The grinding wheel unit is supported upon vertically spaced and laterally extending arms 28 which are pivoted slid ably upon vertical rods 29 carried by the upper and lower lugs 30 and 31 of the turn-table.

The units are adapted to swing on their respective'pivots in a direction that is substantially radial inwardly and outwardly with respect to the axis of the turn-table and each is positioned in a direction approximately radial of the turn-table by the cooperating engagement between a feed cam 32 common to all of the units and the outer end of a longitudinally adjustable and radially outwardly extending arm 33 of the wheel unit.

The wheel units during grinding have no vertical traverse and after the cycle is nearly complete and the grinding is over are raised longitudinally by a cooperating engagement between individual rollers 34 of the units and the upwardly sloping approach 35 of an arcuate cam 36.

After a wheel unit has been raised, as by reason of the wheel 34 rolling up the sloping approach of the cam the finished work piece is removed from the holder and a new work piece inserted.

Both the removal of the finished piece and the insertion of a new piece for grinding takes place while the wheel unit is in raised position, away from the work-holder, the roller 34 being upon the cam 36.

After loading has been completed the roller 34 runs down a sloping portion 37 of the cam bringing the wheel into position for traverse grinding, which may take place continuously from the time the roller rolls oil the arcuate cam 36 at the end 37 until it again rolls on the cam at 35, the wheel going into grinding position at one end of the cam and leaving grinding position at the other.

The work-holder units 27 are all alike and each includes a tubular chuck 38 adapted to present a work piece 39 to the wheel unit, a casing 40 in which the chuck rotates and a motor 41 connected by pulleys 42 and 43 and belt 44 to rotate the chuck.

The work-holder casings are carried upon pairs of horizontally spaced brackets 45 that have pivotal support at laterally extending coaxial spindles 46 which journal in horizontally spaced bearings 47 on the turn-table structure 21. The positions of the spindles 46 and of the brackets 45 are shown non-adjustable with respect to the turn-table but I preferably make the brackets adjustable with respect to the work-holders in order to make adjustable the position of the workholders with respect to the pivotal support.

The work-holders oscillate about the axes of the spindles 46 thereby generating the groove curves with the surfaces of the grinding wheels which are fed progressively inwardly toward the axes of oscillation with resultant gradual increasing distances between the oscillation axes and the grinding surfaces until at the point of finish grinding these distances successively equal the desired groove radius.

An adjustable screw and slot connection is illustrated at 48 (Figure 4) between a workholder and its supporting brackets 45 and the resultant adjustment in the position of the holder with respect to the oscillation spindle 46 permits setting to accommodate the machine to use with work pieces of different lengths or of different depths of groove.

I oscillate the work-holders on the spindles 46 by cooperating engagement between rollers 4L9 carried .upon extending arms .50 from the tops of the holders with an undulating cam member 51 surrounding the stationary post 12.

In the illustration the cam member is cut in the upper end of a sleeve 52 which extends downwardly through the hub of the turntable and carries a gear 53 by which it is driven in any suitable way at any suitable rate as by worm 5% on the shaft of the motor 16, or otherwise.

The undulating surface of the cam sup ports the roller upon the inner end of the arms from the work-holders in positions that continuously vary vertically during the rotation of the cam and of the turn-table. The cam member desirably rotates in reverse direction to that of the turn-table.

An advantageous feature of my invention lies in the means for spraying the grinding surface with cooling liquid during the rotation of the turn-table.

I mount the reservoir 22 upon the superstructure of the turn-table and pipe the cooling liquid from the bottom of this reservoir through pipes 25 to discharge continuously upon the grinding surfaces. The liquor collects in an annular reservoir 56 around the base of the stationary supporting structure, whence it may be returned in any suitable way to a stationary supply pipe 5'? at the top of the supporting structure and which preferably dips into the liquid supply within the reservoir 22. r

In the structure thus far described the grinding operation has been one in which the grooves are upon the ends of the work pieces which are shown as commercial thrust bear,- ings. In Figures 5 and 6 I illustrate an adaptation of my invention to curved internal grindings.

In the form shown in Figures 5 and 6 the grinding wheel 34 having a curved face of greater curvature than the desired curve 58 of finished grinding is fed progressively into the work along the grinding orbit as already described. The wheel unit has no vertical traverse, the traverse being of the work along a curved line such that the grinding face of the wheel generates the desired curve with respect to the work surface.

In the structure shown the curve is radial, that is arcuat-e and the revolving work-holder 27 is given an arcuate oscillation on the trunnion spindles 46 projecting from a bearing 59 of the work-holder along the axis of the desired curve and journaling in the turntable.

Each holder carries a gear 60 at its lower end which meshes with stationary gear teeth 61 around the undulating surface of a cam 62 upon the stationary supporting structure.

As the turn-table rotates the work-holders rotate in their respective bearings 59 by rolling upon the teeth presented by the undulating cam and the bearings 59 and workholders carried by them oscillate upon the trunnions to generate the desired curve between the work pieces and the engaging surfaces of the grinding wheels.

The bearings are shown spring-pressed at 63 to maintain meshing engagement between the gear on the work-holder and the teeth around the undulating cam.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a multiple grinding machine for grinding arcuate grooves, stationary supporting structure, a turn-table and grinding units spaced around the table, each unit including a tiltably mounted work-holder and a grinding wheel for continuous operation, in combination with cam mechanism for giving the work-holder of each unit an arcuate traverse against the curved grinding surface of the wheel.

2. In a multiple grinder for grinding annular grooves, a turn-table, stationary supporting structure, and grinding units spaced around the table, each unit including a grinding wheel, a work-holder adapted to revolve on its own axis and a pivotal support for the work-holder from the table having an axis approximately tangential to a circle generated by the center of the desired groove during the rotation of the work-holder in combination with cam means oscillating the holder on the axis of the pivotal support during the rotation of the work-holder on its own axis.

3. In a multiple grinding machine, a stationary vertical pivot, a turntable adapted to rotate around the pivot, stationary structure supporting the pivot above and below the table, and grinding units spaced around the table, each unit including a grinding wheel, a work-holder adapted to revolve on its own axis and a pivotal support for the work-holder from the table, in combination with a liquid reservoir surrounding the pivot below its upper end connection with the stationary structure and rotating with the table, and conduit connection from the bottom of the reservoir adapted to deliver liquid from the reservoir on to the grinding surfaces at the different units.

4:. In a multiple grinder for grinding annular grooves, a turn-table, grinding units spaced around the table each unit including a revoluble work-holder, a grinding wheel, a hearing within which the holder is revolu ble and a longitudinally adjustable pivotal connection between the table and the hearing, and means for oscillating the bearing on its pivot connection with the table during the rotation of the holder within its bearing.

5 In a multiple grinder for grinding annular grooves, a turn-table and grinding un spaced around the table, each unit including a inding wheel, a work-holder, a bearing within which the work-holder is revoluble and pivotal connection between the holder and the table, in combination with a cam surrounding the axis of the table and sliding operating connection between the cam and each bearing.

6. In a multiple grinder r'or grinding annular grooves, a turn-table and grinding units spaced around the table, each unit including a grinding wheel, a work-holder, a bearing within which the worioholder is revoluble and pivotal connection between the holder the table and a motor mounted on the hearing adapted to rotate the holder in combina tion with cam means for oscillating the hearing on its pivotal connection with the table during the rotation of the holder.

8. In a multiple grinder for grinding annular grooves, a turn-table, stationary supporting structure, grinding units spaced around the table each unit including a grinding wheel, a work-holder, a bearing within which the holder is revoluble and a pair of cooperating horizontally spaced longitudinally adjustable pivotal connections'between the work-holder and the table having a common pivotal axis approximately tangential to the circle generated by the center 01" the desired groove during rotation of the workholder in the bearing, and cam means for oscillating the work-holder on its axis during rotation of the table.

9. In a multiple grinder for grinding annular grooves, stationary supporting structure, a turn-table, and grinding units spaced around the table, each unit including a grinding wheel, a work-holder adapted to present a work piece radially outwardly from the axis of rotation of the table, a hearing within which the holder is revoluble and pivotal supporting connection between the bearing oscillate the work-holders during rotation of 170 the table.

10. In a multiple grinding machine for grinding annular arcuate grooves, a turn table, stationary supporting structure theretable each unit including a grinding wheel and work-holder adapted to oscillatory traverse in combination with a feed cam around the supporting structure progressively feeding the wheels into the Work throughout a portion of the rotation of the table and cam means for raising the wheels from the work as they reach one portion of the orbit of rotation.

11. In a multiple grinder for grinding annular grooves, stationary supporting structure, a turn-table and grinding units spaced around the table each unit including a grinding wheel, a work-holder, a hearing within which the holder is revoluble and pivotal connection between the bearing and the turn-table in combination with an undulating cam from the supporting structure, gear teeth thereon and gear teeth around the lower end of the work-holder engaging the stationary teeth from the cam adapting the undulating cam to simultaneously rotate and oscillate the worlcholder.

12. In a multiple grinder for grinding annular grooves, stationary supporting structure, a turn-table and grinding units spaced around the table each unit including a grinding wheel, a work-holder, a hearing within which the holder is revoluble and pivotal connection between the bearing and the turn-table in combination with a undulating am from the supporting structure, gear teeth thereon, gear teeth around the lower end of the work-holder engaging the stationary teeth from the cam adapting the undulating cam to simultaneously rotate and oscillate the work-holder, and spring means for maintaining the work-holder in mesh with the cam.

CLIFFORD T. RAULE.

for, and grinding units spaced around the 

